First and Second Chances
by kazenoyouni
Summary: A chance he's been waiting for finally arrives, and along with it, a second chance at something he's always wanted... AU, hints at SasuNaru


For my previous readers, I know, I know, it's not an update of the stories you are (im)patiently waiting for, but we'll get there, really.

This story... has been stewing away in my brain for a long while. I think, sometime after I first saw Tokyo Big Sight when I went to the International Anime Fair there during my semester in Japan. I can't admit to knowing very much about _Comiket_ or the path to becoming a _mangaka_, but this is me giving it a shot, because I really, _really _wanted to write this story. BTW, title subject to change, I couldn't think of anything better…

Warnings: As always, this is SasuNaru, though not nearly as... deep... as you all are used to in my writing. Sorry, no smut. Also, I've never been to _Comiket_, so I am woefully lacking in certain facts. Forgive me! Unbeta'd

Disclaimer: I own none of this, and technically, Naruto doesn't either, but... I think he can get away with it, considering...

OMG, it's a oneshot! (Which frankly, I'm surprised I managed. I suck at making anything even close to short…)

* * *

Energy. It was everywhere, radiating off the crowds of people which meandered to and fro between the many stands and decorations, the sounds of chatting a constant hum, music and random shouts filling the air in a sporadic pace.

He could feel it all, filling him with the energy he couldn't crush down. Not that he wanted to, mind you, it filled him until he was ready to explode, ready to charge forward in his own burst of unceasing energy. He was energy, truth be told, it's what everyone always said. And no matter what, he felt like he fit in, here, in this tightly filled space, amongst this cheerful, colorful, energetic crowd.

He took a deep breath, heart pounding, his insides bubbling up with excitement. Here he was, at last, sitting at his own little booth, a neat little pile of his hard work printed and ready before him.

It was his first time. He had been to conventions before, but only as a small part of the whole, a wanderer sent to admire the wares of others. This was his first time actually selling his own work.

And he had put his heart and soul into his story, spent hours out of months perfecting every page, every word. He had never been particularly studious, but he had even spent meticulous amounts of time getting it right down to every kanji. Every stroke took every bit of concentration he could muster, and he had never been good at concentrating. But this...

This was all worth it.

He could remember the first time he had seen Tokyo Big Sight(1), with its unique architectural structure, four upside down triangles each resting on a strong, large pillar, the sun refracting off the glass windows of each inverted pyramid. It was a vision, and from that first glance, he knew, just _knew_, one day, he was going to be one of the vendors, one day, he was going to make it as a _manga-ka_.

He took a deep breath, trying his best to control his breathing, steady his senses.

It had taken all of his efforts to get his story just right. But he was proud of the work he had done. It wasn't exactly a super original story, maybe, it had all the themes of any _Shounen Jump_ typical story, but it was his, and he had spent every waking moment perfecting it. He knew it was the story he wanted to debut with, but first, before he could send it in to _Jump_, he wanted to test it out, wanted to see how it was received by his peers, these people around him that he respected so much.

He closed his blue eyes and took another deep breath, opening his eyes and feeling his stomach churn. He was nervous as hell, and as he spotted a group of young men approach his table, he fidgeted. They were carefully examining the posters he had put up, that he had painstakingly drawn to attract interest to his _manga._ They chittered amongst themselves, muttering about his work. One of them picked up one of the copies he had on the table, fingering through it.

Maybe not original, but it was his. A product of his imagination. It was a simple story, about a boy who had been shunned his whole young life, not knowing why, not understanding it was something he had no control over. It took place in a ninja village, he called it _Konohagakure_, after the name of his high school, _Konohagakuen_(2). The main character, who in many ways resembled himself, fought to gain recognition from the rest of his village, hoping to one day reach the goal of becoming _Hokage_ of his village.

He took a deep breath to steady himself. He smiled warmly at the group.

"How much?" one of them asked.

"Eh?" Truth be told, he had spent so much time on the _manga_ itself, he hadn't actually considered a price yet. "Uh..." he scratched nervously at his cheek. "Um, I guess, tw-twelve hundred _yen_?"(3)

The guy nodded, pulled out some _yen_, and handed it over. He took it hesitantly, blue eyes wide as he stared at the _yen_ in his hand as the guy took a copy and started to walk off, head buried within the pages. Then more money was being put in his still outstretched hand, and another copy taken.

He swallowed thickly. Four copies... He had just sold four copies...

And he smiled the brightest smile he had at the group as they waved and walked off.

"So, Naruto, how's it going?" he heard someone ask in a gruff sounding voice. The cash was taken out of his still hand, and he heard his friend whistle. "Damn, this much already? Not bad."

"K-Kiba?"

Naruto turned to look at his friend thumbing through his money. His dark hair was as tousled as usual, and he noted the red paint on his cheeks and smiled. Kiba had taken a liking to one of the characters in his story, a wolfish guy Naruto had actually based on him, and as a sign of that, he had dressed up for the part.

"Not bad for your first _Comiket_(4), huh?" Kiba muttered. "You got a place for this?" he inquired, holding up the neatly organized _yen_.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." He reached down under the table and pulled out a small cash box and opened it. Kiba put the money inside and closed it, taking a seat in the chair beside his blond friend.

"Still nervous?" Kiba asked.

"Y-Yeah. But... Happy, too," Naruto smiled.

Kiba nodded and sat back in his chair as he watched the crowd. Naruto pursed his lips and sat down in the chair set behind him, nearly missing it in his nervousness.

"Come on, your story is good. I have no doubt it'll be a huge hit. I mean, with that character based off of me, how can people not like it?"

Naruto shook his head, a smile on his face. Then he started laughing. Kiba grinned, and then they both started laughing.

It was a good first day.

* * *

Naruto frowned. He was starting to run low on copies. On the second day, the first group who had bought his story had come by again, and they had proceeded to bombard him with compliments. They wanted to know what was going to happen next, they wanted to know if he was going to write more, if he was going to submit it to _Jump _or somewhere else, if he was planning on this and that...

Then more people had approached, and they listened to everything being said, and by the time the group had finally walked off again, he had sold another twenty or so copies.

He was in shock, awed that so many people seemed to be taking an interest. It was his first _Comiket_, his first time selling his own work, presenting it to anyone but his closest friends. And people, strangers, actually seemed to like it.

Kiba sat grinning beside him. One of the cute girls dressed up in a cute maid outfit had complimented his costume adaptation of the character that had been based on him in the first place, telling him how cute he looked with the face paint. He was in heaven (it was always good when a cute girl flirted with him in his book- and the maid outfit didn't hurt).

And now it was the third and final day, and Naruto only had a few copies left. Actually, he had made a hundred copies(5), and had expected to have at least half left over. He counted seven remaining.

It seemed word had spread, and kept spreading. He was starting to get the feeling he was going to have demand for more even after he ran out. The thought made him excited. He was actually starting to feel more confident about sending it in to _Jump_.

Another customer approached, and he made another sale. He looked at the _yen_ in his hand, then down at his cash box, and wondered if maybe he should have charged a little more. if this kept up, those copies were going to be worth a lot one day...

Kiba had gone to the bathroom (or maybe off to find some girl to flirt with), so he was left alone at the booth, maybe not a good thing as a tall figure stepped up to the table. Naruto didn't notice at first, still lost in his day dreams.

"It's not safe to zone out like that, _do-be_," a deep voice stated, a bit of a teasing ring to the nickname.

Blue eyes went wide as he was snapped out of his daze. He looked forward at the man standing on the other side of the table, his mouth dropping open.

He was handsome, incredibly so, in a dark suit casually worn. His hair was spiked in the back, black as night to the point it almost looked like a really dark blue. Deep, dark, onyx-like eyes stared fixed on the blond, and pale, thin lips moved into a half-smirk.

"Sa-Sasuke?" Naruto muttered. He hadn't seen him since they had graduated high school. It was a shock now, to see him. They had been best friends when they were young, had gone to the same school in elementary, middle and high school. Really, he had thought for sure Sasuke would have chosen to go to a better high school than _Konohagakuen_, but it didn't turn out that way. He had always wanted to ask, but he never had.

But it was in high school that they had started to drift apart. Uchiha Sasuke, popular and smart, had become class president, and captain of the kyuudou club(6). He had become too busy for Naruto, who dabbled in drawing, but took no other interests. Too busy, and too far out of his league of friends.

Naruto frowned, seeing him now. He followed Sasuke's line of sight, and in a rush of panic, he pulled the last six copies away and hid them under the table, his cheeks going red in embarrassment.

Only one thought rushed through his mind- _I can't let him see this!_

It had nothing to do with shyness, having an old friend see his work. It had everything to do with the character he had based off of the man who stood before him now.

Ever since he was young, Sasuke had been his dearest, most treasured friend. He didn't think Sasuke knew, exactly, how much he meant to the young blond. He'd always been stoic, and confident, and brilliant. Nothing like Naruto. Naruto admired him, and respected him better than anyone else in the world. And after they had separated for college, where no doubt Sasuke still was, aiming for some high up position like doctor or governor, maybe even Prime Minister of Japan, Naruto had continued to hold Sasuke close to his heart, and the character he had created showcased that prominently. If the main character was directly based off of himself, the main character's closest friend and rival was directly correlated to the young man who stood before him now. And the undercurrents of their story...

Well, that was his secret.

Either way, he couldn't let Sasuke see it. After all, besides that, Sasuke had never really approved of Naruto's desire to create manga. And frankly, he had no idea what he was even doing here, now.

Really, not a good time for Kiba to be off gadding.

"I've been hearing a lot about a boy selling his first manga," Sasuke spoke, hands in his pockets at his sides, looking relaxed (and still really handsome), "about ninja. Apparently, it's really good."

"Oh? I-Is that so?" Naruto stuttered. Why was he stuttering? So he hadn't seen Sasuke in a while, it wasn't that big of a deal. He held on to his last copies more tightly.

"Apparently, the creator is kinda pretty, for a boy, and looks like a foreigner. Seen anyone like that here?"

Naruto swallowed thickly, blinking and casting his eyes anywhere but at Sasuke.

"C-Can't say I have. I've... been kinda stuck here, heh." Damnit, why was he acting so shy? This wasn't like him at all. He's not such a wimp, especially not with Sasuke.

He pursed his lips and found his confidence. "Well, I don't know why that'd be any concern of yours anyways. You hate this," and he cast his free hand around at the crowds, the costumed _otakus_, the lights and decorations.

Sasuke shrugged. "I work for a publishing company," was his casual response. Naruto's jaw dropped- again.

"Publishing comp- Which one?" Naruto asked, stunned.

Sasuke frowned. "_Akito Shouten_(7)"

"Wha- But they-" and he started to laugh. The irony.

Sasuke's frown deepened. Too busy was Naruto, immersed in his nearly maniacal laughter, he didn't notice he had dropped a couple of copies of his _manga_, but Sasuke did. Rolling his eyes at Naruto's laugh, he squatted down, feeling very undignified, and grabbed a copy. He thumbed through it, noting the well-composed frames, the elegant lines of the figures, sensing the obvious work put into it. Naruto was still laughing, nearly ready to fall over, and he turned back to the first page, beginning to read.

Noticing (finally), that Sasuke wasn't interrupting, wasn't calling him an idiot, his chuckling managed to subside, quickly replaced with terror as he saw Sasuke immersed in a copy of his manga. Frantically, he counted the copies in his hand- four, and noted the fifth on the floor. Quickly he scooped it up, eyes wide as he stared at the sixth resting comfortably in Sasuke's hands.

His face quickly turned red, his eyes glancing around nervously.

"Ano, Sa-"

"It's good," Sasuke said, looking up. His face was blank, and Naruto hesitated. Sasuke wasn't one to give complements unless he meant them, but...

"I like this character," Sasuke said, showing the scowling young boy on the page, hair dark and sticking up in the back, dark eyes staring stubbornly out of the page.

Naruto swallowed. "Sa-Sasuke."

"You might actually be able to manage with this. With me as a connection, maybe you could even get it published." Sasuke closed the manga and pulled out his wallet. "1200 _yen_?" He dropped the money on the table.

Naruto glared. "I don't need your sympathy, bastard."

A dark brow rose.

"I don't need your sympathy, and I don't need your help. I'm gonna get my story published on my own. And besides, I want _Jump_." Naruto huffed and turned his back, nose in the air.

"_Jump_? You think you can manage that, moron? Hn, it's not _that_ good."

Naruto fumed. He couldn't understand, even with Sasuke, who had once been his best friend, standing right there, pissing him off with his superiority complex, why his heart was racing. He couldn't understand why, after all these years, his heart hadn't given up on him.

More than anyone, or anything, he wanted Sasuke to be proud of him, to have faith in him. Why couldn't he?

"Then I'll keep working at it," Naruto replied, his voice soft and slightly tremulous. "I'll keep trying until it is." His voice gradually gained strength, gradually lost that hoarse tenor, "I'll keep going until I do make it. I have six months till the next _Comiket_. I'll try again, and again, until enough people want to read my story, until _Jump_ recognizes me."_ I'll make_ you _recognize me..._ he thought.

For a second, he thought Sasuke had left, had walked away from him while he was still talking. It wouldn't have been the first time. He sighed and turned back around, and his jaw nearly dropped for the third time when he saw Sasuke was still standing there, eyes dark and far away.

"You know," he finally said at last, Naruto gulping at whatever might be coming next. "I like that character, but the one I like more is the main character. He reminds me of someone... Someone who was always very important to me. I like _that_ character the most."

Naruto's eyes went wide, then relaxed, a soft smile tracing itself across his features. "I dunno. They both seem like idiots to me."

"Hn. Aren't you the one who created them?"

"No. I just gave them a new story."

"Well," Sasuke sighed, leaning over across the booth, dark eyes boring into deep blue, "I think I like their story better. I hope it has a happy ending."

For a while they stood there, staring at each other, Naruto's face slowly getting redder and redder with each passing second.

"Damn, Uchiha. When the hell did you get so lame?" Kiba muttered as he collapsed into his seat. Sasuke's trademark glare quickly reappeared back on his face, boring into the interruption commonly known as Kiba.

"Ki-Kiba! When did you get back?" Naruto asked, glowing with embarrassment.

"Just now, just in time to hear Uchiha be all sappy." He grinned that wolfish grin at the Uchiha's expense.

"Che."

"But hey, what're you doing here, anyways, Uchiha?" Kiba asked, and Naruto realized the reason.

"Supposedly scouting new talent."

Kiba frowned. "Huh? Here?"

"Well, I hope you find some. Like I said, I'm aiming for _Jump_." Naruto nodded sagely.

"Yeah, yeah. Idiot. Didn't anyone ever tell you not to look a gift horse in the mouth?" Sasuke replied, crossing his arms across his chest, manga dangling from one hand.

"Eh, I don't listen to old geezers."

"Or anybody else. Moron."

"Bastard."

"So is that the only one you bought? Picky, aincha?" Kiba asked, coming to a realization, which, admittedly, was pretty rare, for him.

Naruto blinked in confusion. Sasuke smirked.

"I have high standards."

Naruto pursed his lips.

"Is this where _Naruto_ is being sold?" a girl asked, popping up beside Sasuke. Another girl came up behind her.

"Uh, yeah," Naruto replied.

"One copy please!" the girl cried, pulling out her money.

"Me too!" The girl behind her called, handing over her 1200 yen.

He handed over the two copies and gave the money to Kiba to put away. Sasuke watched silently. Naruto put the last three copies on the table.

"Pretty egotistical of you, naming it after yourself," Sasuke murmured, fingering the small stack.

"No one else has to know that," Naruto replied, then grinned confidently. "That's what pen names are for."

Sasuke sighed, shaking his head. "I imagine you'll be finishing up soon." Sasuke said as he turned back to watch the two girls disappear into the crowd, squealing irritatingly.

"Looks like," Naruto nodded, staring at the last three copies.

"I'm going to walk around one more time. I imagine by the time I get back you'll be done. I'll walk you to the station."

Naruto blinked at him, nodding absently. Sasuke gave a brief nod in return and walked off.

"Well," Kiba started, standing and stretching. "Guess I'll start putting up."

* * *

By the time Sasuke was back, everything had been cleared away, table empty. Naruto had even sold a couple of the posters he had made just for display.

Quietly they walked out of the Tokyo Big Site, leaving the remnants of energy and excitement behind them. As Naruto had expected, the last three copies hadn't been enough, and he found himself promising to random strangers that he would be back with more of the same volume, as well as a brand new one, at the next _Comiket_.

He sighed wistfully. It had been a good day, a good three days, and he glanced out of the corner of his eye at the man walking calmly beside him.

Sasuke was still clutching the volume in his hand, handling it carefully, like it was a treasure. Naruto bit his lip, trying to contain his nervousness and excitement. It reminded him of the first day, but a little different. This time, it bubbled up in his stomach, like butterflies. He was happy, and he didn't know if he would be able to contain it. It really almost felt like a new beginning.

"There is one thing I wanted to ask you though," Sasuke spoke.

"Hmm?" Naruto asked as he smelled the sea on the wind as it lightly rustled his blond hair.

"What was with that kiss?"

...Uh oh.

* * *

Hope you liked!

(1) Tokyo Big Sight, or the Tokyo International Exhibition Center, is where anime conventions are usually held in Japan. It's located on Odaiba, the man-made island in Tokyo Bay connected to the rest of the city by the Rainbow Bridge.

(2) For those of you who don't know, _Konohagakure_ is the formal name of Konoha, and the ending _gakuen_, which means school, would just make it a more typical school name- maybe

(3) Honestly, I have no idea how much a manga at _Comiket_ would go for, I just made a random guess. If anyone has a better idea, let me know, and I'll change it.

(4) _Comiket_... do I really need to explain what this is? Just in case, Comic Market, held twice a year at Tokyo Big Sight, where self-published manga are sold

(5) Once more, with my lack of knowledge pertaining to _Comiket_, I made a guess as to how many copies one might make

(6) Archery club. I can't help it, I think Sasuke would look incredibly hot in that uniform... (Did you really need me to tell you I'm a perv?)

(7) _Akita Shouten_ - It's a publisher that specializes in manga for teenagers. Magazines include _Weekly Shounen Champion_, _Monthly_ _Shounen Champion_, and _Princess_. I don't know too much about them, except what I found on wiki, but I didn't want to use a super well-known company, like _Shounen Jump_


End file.
